The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a two-year contract with former Mets pitcher Chris Flexen on Wednesday, scooping up one of the best players in the Korean Baseball Organization of the 2020 season.
Flexen, who made the move to South Korea to the Doosan Bears after being let go by the Mets last offseason, shined as he became a fixture for his new team in the 2020 season. The 26-year-old slinger was the team’s best starter, putting up a 3.01 ERA along with 132 strikeouts in just 116 innings.
The California native’s foray into foreign baseball was enough to revive his career after he failed to impress with the Mets during parts of three seasons. Flexen was ineffective in the Majors, compiling a 8.07 ERA in just 27 games from 2017 to 2019.
It is still unclear how Seattle plans to use their newest pitcher. Flexen was primarily a reliever during his stints with the Mets, but transitioned to becoming a workhorse starter for the Doosan Bears in 2020.
The deal, valued at just over $4 million, is a low-risk move for the Mariners as they look to add valuable pieces to a pitching staff that has struggled to find both talent and consistency in recent years.
